My baby is now a Kindergartener, but stick around for video and written reviews of the best baby, toddler and preschool products out there. Because even when as they grow up they're still our babies! And if you're a new Mama, check out my archive for fun and funny video reviews of the baby products that saved my life in those early months at home with a wee one.

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There’s a new princess on the block. And her name is Sofia. She gives her wicked stepsister a second chance, she rides horses with the boys, and she has Tim Gunn at her beck and call. She’s Sofia the First. And she’s got her own series on Disney Junior and, not suprisingly, her very own app. Bean and I had a chance to try out the new Sophia the First app, as well as two other Disney princess apps. And let me tell you, they offer a lot to twirl and dance about.

My personal favorite is Sofia. The Sofia the First Story Theater app is completely charming. The storybook mode is a whimsical version of the first Sofia movie, with delightful, simple animation, lovely voicing, and a clear telling of the story. The interactive story theater mode allows your child to choose three characters from the story, a setting, and then to animate them like puppets and record her voice. And then save her little shows. It’s creative and adorable and I’m totally on board.

The Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast Storybook Deluxe Apps are also enjoyable and quite similar to the other Disney apps in the same series. Each tells the story of the movie in multiple reading modes: read myself, read to me, and record my voice. I have experimented with the record my voice version and it’s SO FUN! Your chance to be a book narrator! And a lovely idea if you are traveling and want to leave your child with a bedtime story read by you. These apps also include painting modes, puzzles and games as well as sing-along videos that are lots of fun.

Did you know that Abby Cadabby’s parents are divorced? They are. You won’t hear about it on “Sesame Street”, but Sesame Workshop has created a thoughtful and comprehensive guide for parents to help you help your child through divorce. Little Children Big Challenges: Divorce is just one of many tool kits that Sesame Street has put together online to offer help to families during particularly challenging situations. And like all of the materials created by Sesame Street, it is a rich resource for families and caregivers dealing with the difficult transitions that divorce presents.

The Little Children Big Challenges: Divorce tool kit offers videos featuring some of your favorite Sesame Street characters, songs, printable activities, printable tip sheets for parents and caregivers, and a downloadable storybook called “Two Hug Day.” “Two Hug Day” deals sensitively with the feelings that may arise in kids on days when they switch from Mommy to Daddy’s house, or vice versa. Two-Hug days.

Divorce will ultimately impact 40% of children. We all will, at some point, encounter children who are moving through this difficult transition–be they our own kids, our relatives, or our children’s friends. And at any moment we may be called upon to help a kid negotiate a challenging emotion or situation. It’s just good to know that we aren’t alone in these tough times. That there are resources available to help us help our children. And that those resources come from someone as trustworthy, smart and thoughtful as Sesame Street. Sesame Workshop even has created a Divorce App (available for both iPhone and Android devices), because goodness knows those difficult questions can arise anywhere from in the car to at the ball field and beyond. These resources are designed for families with children ages 2 – 8, are completely free, and can be accessed on the Sesame Street website here.

I attended a panel discussion at Sesame Workshop this week and received two Little Children Big Challenges: Divorce kits containing a Sesame Street DVD, A Guide for Parents and Caregivers, and a copy of the “Two-Hug Day”story book. I will happily mail these to the first two readers who request them. Please leave a comment on this post if you would like one and I’ll email you for your address.

So if, say, there was a fabulous event in the huge mega Toys R’ Us in Times Square…where say you and your kids could meet Sir Topham Hatt, play with the newly launched Thomas Wooden Railway, and receive a fun giveaway…well you could count on all of us at Babies Gotta Have It to tell you, right?

Well, on Friday February 8th, at the huge mega Toys R’ Us in Times Square at 1 pm EST, there will indeed be such an event featuring all that and more! The first 250 fans at the event will indeed win some super cool giveaways! And your little train fanatic will even get to attend a story time with Sir Topham Hatt himself!

And how about a sneak peek at the newest Thomas Wooden Trains? The new Thomas Wooden Railway line from Fisher-Price will debut at this event with tons of engines, destinations, and track sets in a line that will just keep growing in the future. For more than 65 years, children have enjoyed the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends on the Island of Sodor through stories and Thomas toys powered by children’s own imagination. The Thomas story began when the Rev. W. Awdry created a fable about a cheeky blue engine named ‘Thomas’ on the fictional Island of Sodor and whittled a wooden train to entertain his young son. The introduction of Thomas Wooden Railway is also a journey that takes Fisher-Price back to its roots—which started 83 years ago with wood toys. In 1931, in East Aurora, New York, children’s book writer and illustrator Margaret Evans Price, wife of founder Irving Price, designed the first wooden Fisher-Price toys.

Great stories. Wooden toys. A magical event in one of the toy capitals of the world? Yeah, that’s something babies definitely gotta have.

And, just for you Babies Gotta Have It readers, we have a special Thomas the Tank Engine wooden train set Giveaway! One lucky winner will receive the Thomas 5-in-1 Up and Around Set by Fisher Price: create up to 5 different layouts with this 20-piece playset which includes Thomas, 17 pieces of track, a bridge and a tunnel. For kids ages three years and up. Want to enter? Use our super easy Rafflecopter entry form below!

Disclosure: We received the Thomas the Tank Engine set above for purposes of review. As always, all opinions are entirely my own and were in no way influenced by anyone. Babies Gotta Have It is an Amazon affiliate.

At Babies Gotta Have It we think that a little screen time is a-ok in moderation. Here, Kristin gives her review of the new Disney Wreck-It Ralph Storybook Deluxe and Hero’s Duty Interactive Comic apps! Enjoy!

It may seem from my reviews here on Babies Gotta Have It that my son is on the iPad every five seconds! But before you go questioning my parenting choices, you need to know that CW has an allotted amount of time on the iPad per day. It is not a ton of time. Usually it is the amount of time it takes me to put MD down for a nap. I make sure that the educational apps are peppered in there, but I do not have to guide him too much. He loves to do the interactive books, especially the Disney Storybook Deluxe versions of Cars, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo.

If you are new to the Storybook Deluxe versions, you are in luck! There is a new version! In preparation for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ newest 3-D animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph, Disney released two new apps — Wreck-It Ralph Storybook Deluxe and Hero’s Duty Interactive Comic. Now, CW was a little scared of the Wreck-It Ralph story…we just skipped some of it and went to the games. Later, I went back through and read along with the story – it includes cy-bugs that attack, which is what scared my four year old. I would say you just have to know your child. The app is rated for ages four and up by iTunes. My nephew was watching Star Wars and Transformers at this same age with no problems. He would love this app.

The app takes you through the story of Wreck-It Ralph, which may be a helpful tool prior to seeing the movie! It is interactive, and your child can click on the page in various places. But, CW’s favorite part occurs during the story when his face shows up in the screen (your camera captures him) in the video game withRalph. At this point in the story, Ralph is encountering the cy-bugs as part of a video game called “Hero’s Duty.”

If you have an older child, it would be best to start with the Hero’s Duty Interactive Comic (rated for ages 9 and up). It is mentioned in the Wreck-It Ralph Storybook Deluxe story, and is helpful to understand the whole story. I chose not to allow CW to look at the comic, as there are weapons (used to kill the cy-bugs) and I do not want him to be exposed to that yet. The comic (a prequel to the Wreck-It Ralph story) includes interactive comic pages with original artwork, and two reading modes. At $1.99, it is great to have for older kids who want a little higher-level reading, or who really enjoy comics.

Although the Wreck-It Ralph Storybook Deluxe story did not capture CW’s rapt attention (mainly because he was a bit scared), the interactive game certainly did. In the games, CW can customize his own candy go-kart and race the kart in “Sugar Rush!” As you can imagine, CW loves the designing and racing aspects of this game. I particularly loved that multiple reading levels can read the story or children can choose word-by-word narration (with the original character voices from the movie). Plus, the fact that the child will see himself appear on the screen at key points of the story throughout the app is completely enjoyable for kids!

At $6.99, I highly recommend that you try the app before seeing the movie. Your kids will love Sugar Rush (the interactive game within the app), and meet all of the characters of Wreck-It Ralph so they won’t have to ask you a billion questions when you actually see the movie!

Kristin is a former high school English teacher and show choir geek enjoying time as a stay-at-home mom to CW and little brother MD.

Kristin and her boys received Wreck-It Ralph and Hero’s Duty Apps free for purposes of review. As always, all opinions are Kristin’s and her boys’ and were not influenced by anyone.

Three bugs since December twelfth. The first struck the night we went to see the Rockettes. The second struck on New Years Eve (and was diagnosed as a double ear infection on my birthday). The third hit on Friday night. While she was still on antibiotics for the ear infections. This is the outfit she put together for a quick run to Starbucks this afternoon. Some kind of a jaunt to break up twelve hours in a New York City apartment. I particularly like the crocs and pompom hat combo.

Blame it on worst cold and flu season in recent memory. Or on global warming–everyone knows these crazy warm-ups in the middle of winter makes everyone get sick. Well, that’s what my grandmother would say anyway. When Bean gets the crud, it goes right to her chest. Hello TB ward cough. And then it lasts for a month. And I hate sending her to school sounding like that.

Many cold and cough medicines for children have been taken off the market due to safety concerns. But not, I was so happy to discover, the all-natural home remedies for cough by Matys. So what’s so good about all-natural? As the Matys website says:

We at Maty’s are unearthing the age-old tradition of all-natural remedies, good for the body and the environment. We have carefully crafted safe, all-natural treatments for your child–and for you! With our products you can be sure that you are getting the finest, most effective ingredients without any dangerous side effects. Let us provide you with the remedy, all you add is your healing touch.

Sounds good to me!

We were sent the All Natural Baby Chest Rub to try out. How shall I put this…I was hoping we wouldn’t have the opportunity to review this product this winter. Heh. I used it tonight (the third night in a row) to soothe the Bean to sleep. This healthy alternative to Vick’s contains no menthol, no petroleum, no drugs. It has a lovely lavender and chamomile fragrance. And I feel like it just soothes her to sleep when I rub it on her chest and back–almost like a massage oil.

I bought the Matys All Natural Cough Syrup (for children ages 1 and older) with buckwheat honey for the Bean to try. First and foremost–she loves the flavor. I tasted it. It’s like apple pie on a spoon. My mother has often touted buckwheat honey as a natural cough remedy. It is not a miracle cure, but I do feel like it calms her. She’s sleeping right now, having taken a dose right before bed, and I’ve only heard her cough once since I started writing this post. Buckwheat honey is anti-oxidant rich, effective as a boost to respiratory function, and helpful for promoting a good night’s sleep. For Mama and kiddo.

Natania Barron, Kathy Ceceri, Corrina Lawson and Jenny Williams, the editors of the wildly popular GeekMom Blog have written an engaging, funny, practical and crazy geeky book for all of us out there who want to get our geek on with our kids. If you didn’t know that “The Hobbit” opened last Friday, this may not be the book for you. If you got advanced tickets, suffice it to say that this book boasts a section entitled “Throwing a Hobbit Feast.” Under selecting the menu: “Three to five good cheeses…Enough boiled eggs for one person at least…Pickled things…Meaty things…Bread.” Are you asking yourself, “what about second breakfast and elevenses” yet?

By now you should be getting a really good indication if this book is for you, Mama.

But seriously, Geek Mom offers far more than a chance for Mama to simply get her nerd on. It is full of projects and advice, home-science experiments and superheroes, games and tips. And even if you’ve never cracked a Sci-Fi book or seen an episode of “Battlestar Gallactica”, if you’re a creative, clever, thought-ful parent, you’ll dig this book.

“Being geeky is all about exploring the world with endless curiosity. Geek Mom is your invitation to introducing the same sense of wonder and imagination to the next generation.”

So. If you’re looking for a last minute gift for that mom in your life who loves to get her geek on, and by that, the editors of this book mean that gal who when she gets involved in something, gets really involved in it…pick up a copy of Geek Mom. Christmas is just a few days away, so here’s where you geeks may need to take a step back. Sure you could probably get it really fast from our affiliate Amazon or even gift the kindle edition, but hey. Why not put on a coat, grab a cup of coffee, and head down to your local bookstore and pick one up in real life. While you’re at it, you can geek out over all of the other real live, hard copy books in front of you. Sure your glasses might fog up when you come in from the cold.

In addition to performing, I am proud to have been an artist educator for many years. I’ve worked with companies that have brought live theater to thousands of kids who would otherwise never have been exposed to it. And over the years I have continued to be amazed at the way well-told stories can grab a child’s attention. Even in these days of the Nintendo DS and iPod Touch, kids can get wrapped up in a simple story that sparks their imaginations. Just this week a theater company I am a member of has been performing a story-theater style piece about Greek Mythology at Lincoln Center. I have seen, with my own eyes, city kids sitting on the edges of their seats…to watch three actors, several funny wigs and a bamboo staff weave the tales of the Cyclops and the story of Echo. I have to remind myself of this often.

My daughter responded similarly to Johnette Downing’s wonderful new CD, “Reading Rocks.” This innovative new album is the singer/songwriter/childrens book author’s first to combine spoken word with music, and it’s a delight. Downing’s CD interweaves readings from five of her picture books with eleven new songs that range in style from bluegrass to rock. She’s based in New Orleans and the varied musical influences of that city ooze out of every lyric and line. My little one was caught up in the CD when we listened to it….asking me questions and singing along. Amazing, the power of a story. Be it set to music or simply read.

Much like the Greek Myths, many of the stories in “Reading Rocks” cleverly explain natural phenomena. Stories like “Why the Crawfish Lives in the Mud” or “Why The Possum Has a Large Grin.” Kids love these tales.

Happy Holidays everyone! Babies Gotta Have It’s very own resident boy expert Kristin has compiled her picks for terrific, eco-friendly gifts for boys this holiday season. With the effects of Sandy still being felt very strongly here on the East Coast, toys that don’t harm the environment are at the top of our lists this year! Enjoy!

I would like to start this off by wishing everyone a happy holiday season! Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, this list is full of great gift ideas for the whole year! And, we at Babies Gotta Have It love to focus on eco-friendly products, so I would like to point you in the direction of a number of great toy manufacturers who are committed to saving our planet.

First, Green Toys has developed an amazing line of classic children’s toys made from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials! Plus, you will love that all Green Toys products are 100% made in the United States! Less transportation also equals less energy! So, if you’re looking for a great selection of green toys, here are just a few of our favorites. Green Toys Dump Truck, Green Toys Flatbed Truck and Race Car, or Green Toys Recycling Truck are great for those boys who love their vehicles (and they are SUPER STURDY)! Or, if you want to encourage your kids to get some exercise, make it fun with the Green Toys Jump Rope.

Second, B. Toys is by far one of my favorite companies. Their colors are a little crazy, their packaging is completely recyclable (and not ridiculously unnecessary), and their toys are absolutely the ones my kids come back to time after time. I won’t bore you with the entire list, but our favorites in this house (and ones that we love to gift to others) include: One Two Squeeze Blocks are soft blocks for stacking, throwing, squeezing, and floating (great for any age); B. Woofer Guitar comes with a volume knob (Hallelujah!), twenty sing-along favorites, and three play modes; B. Doctor is not your average doctor’s kit, but it still includes all the necessities like a stethoscope, syringe, and blood pressure cuff; and our absolute favorite, the B. Zany Zoo. Both of my children have played with the B. Zany Zoo. In fact, we keep it in our bathroom so that we can get ready in the morning without having to police the boys. They both still love it (at 4 and 1), and there are so many amazing parts to it, that they rediscover something new all the time! Seriously, I cannot praise B. Toys enough…we are buying MD a few new B. Toys this year for Christmas (now, if only I could choose)!

If you have been looking for a set of blocks for your child, there are a number of great eco-friendly choices out there! I like Uncle Goose Wooden ABC Blocks because they are made in the USA, and because they are hand manufactured.

For more wooden toy, eco-friendly options, go to Maxim Toys. All of their packaging is made using recycled cardboard and printed with all-natural soy ink. The toys are made using wood from renewable forests and recycled rubber wood, and the paints on them are water color based that contain less chemicals! To start, check out the Noah’s Ark Ever Earth Eco Friendly Wooden Toy and the Maxim EverEarth Work Bench.

While all Wonderworld toys are made in Thailand, they are committed to using only renewable materials such as rubber wood and tree sap. Wonderworld designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes eco-friendly toys like this Hopping Bunny Walker for ages 11-24 months.

Although I’m new to Sprig Toys, they are committed to creating eco-friendly kid-powered toys! And, I am always happy to encourage action-packed play! Check out the Side Kick Vehicle.

I would be remiss not to mention Plan Toys, as they are the first company in the world to manufacture wooden toys using the renewable resource of rubber wood, and they are working to create a new process to minimize waste and energy consumption. If you have a musically minded tot, you will love the PlanToys Musical Band. If your boys are into vehicles of all sorts, look at the City series, including the City Series Airport or the Road System Deluxe.

Join me this year and attempt to buy more eco-friendly toys for your children. Help them enjoy the planet for years to come by teaching them about the impact of reusable, renewable resources! Happy shopping!

Kristin is a former high school English teacher and show choir geek enjoying time as a stay-at-home mom to CW and new baby brother MD.

As always, all opinions are Kristin’s and her boys’ and were not influenced by anyone. Babies Gotta Have It is an Amazon affiliate.

There was a hurricane a few weekends ago, in case you missed it. In the midst of imminent power outages and high winds and torrential rain, we headed west to attend my grandmother’s funeral. Not great timing. But, it did put my husband and kids at my in-laws’ house…a bit farther from the main part of the storm (although still in the rain and wind area). What is one to do on a 3-hour car ride with a toddler and a 4 year old who have been cooped up inside for a couple of days already? Movies? iPad games? Yes and yes.

Our 16 month old really likes the iPad, but he has not figured out how to navigate around like my 4 year old. CW can playa multitudeof games (mostly academic) all by himself. MD, on the other hand, gets frustrated and throws the iPad across the car. Luckily, earlier last week, we received the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case for iPad! If you have an iPad and you allow your children to use it, this is a MUST HAVE!! The case comes with teething rings on one part (which my kids no longer need, but the handle is nice), rubberized corners, a screen protector, and a home-button blocker!!! So, if you want to control what apps your child is playing, you place the iPad in so that he cannot push the home button and go back to the main screen. If, as in the case of CW, you know he is fine to select his own games, then you rotate the iPad so that the home button is accessible (it’s still protected by the screen protector, but even little fingers can press it). Oh, and did I mention that it has durable “easel-like” feet so that baby doesn’t have to hold the iPad, but instead he can prop it up on the floor!

The case is a complete iPad saver! Not only does it protect the iPad from those grubby and sticky fingers, it allows MD to play safely on it without me worrying that he’s deleting our address book. It also (as we found out) does a decent job of protecting the iPad from rain and falls from the car (when we arrived to eat, the iPad launched out the door and into a puddle…completely unscathed, although I would not suggest trying it). Phew!

Kristin is a former high school English teacher and show choir geek enjoying time as a stay-at-home mom to CW and new baby brother MD.

Kristin and her boys received the Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case for purposes of review. As always, all opinions are Kristin’s and her boys’ and were not influenced by anyone. Babies Gotta Have It is an Amazon affiliate.

Huge boxes mean fun surprises at my house. And they are usually for the kids. So, when this box arrived, both boys were eager for the box to be opened. They hovered. They hooted. They danced. They climbed (onto the box, of course).

And when the box was opened to reveal a brand new TRAIN SET, who could be happier than these two boys! CW actually jumped up and down and said, “Ooh, is it for me? Is it for US to play with? Can we set it up now?” Dinner plans went out the window, as setting up the Thomas & Friends Risky Rails Bridge Drop commenced.

As a word of caution, do not attempt to put this together while your toddler is around. He will climb all over the pieces, take parts away, and crumple the directions. I highly recommend putting this together while your children are asleep! It has a lot of pieces, and although they are all labeled with letters (yay for labels!), it is still a longer process than I would have liked. We actually had to tell the boys that it would be together in the morning and pushed them up the stairs to do something else instead.

If you are purchasing this train set for a child who is three years old and older, you should be fine (the set is recommended for 36 months-7 years). If your child has a younger sibling, however, be prepared to fix the train track about one hundred times daily. While CW had a great time with the train and track, and he loved that the bridge dropped as the train went over it, he did not love that his brother would cause its constant destruction. MD would try to push the trains along the track and the track would subsequently collapse. Perhaps placing the train set in CW’s room would have been a better option, but MD absolutely loves trains and so it was difficult to keep him away. And inevitably he would collapse the track and then chuck the train across the room out of frustration.

The track is the tallest TrackMaster set available, and it has a drop-bridge and cranes to send boulders down a zip line to the bottom of the quarry. Both boys loved the zip line, and it was easy to fix the tension on the line so that it would travel quickly and freely. If your children love trains and they are above age three, then I would highly recommend the Thomas & Friends Risky Rails Bridge Drop.

Kristin is a former high school English teacher and show choir geek enjoying time as a stay-at-home mom to CW and new baby brother MD.

Kristin and CW received the Thomas & Friends Risky Rails Train Set for purposes of review. As always, all opinions are Kristin’s and her boys’ and were not influenced by anyone. Babies Gotta Have It is an Amazon affiliate.